Ryanair today (27 Sept) condemned the unnecessary pilot strike called by the Lufthansa controlled VC Union for Fri 28th Sept. The VC claims that this strike action is called to establish a CLA regarding pay (VTV), and terms and conditions (MTV) for pilots in Germany.
However, Ryanair released a copy of a letter sent to the Head of the VC Union yesterday (26th Sept) at the VC’s request following 7 hours of negotiations that took place in Frankfurt on 25th Sept. In this letter, Ryanair:
– Agreed to arbitration with the VC Union in Germany;
– Agreed to an acceptable arbitrator within 7 days, whereas the VC wanted 14 days;
– Suggested a 4 or 5 week arbitration (similar to that in Ireland), whereas the VC proposed 5 months; and
– Invited the VC to meet in Dublin to finalise these agreements next Thurs 4th
Ryanair’s Chief Operations Officer Peter Bellew said:
“It is deeply disappointing that some of our customers and our people in Germany tomorrow will have their flights disrupted by an unnecessary strike called at short notice by the Lufthansa controlled VC Union. This is another example of a strike being organised in Ryanair by association by a union controlled by competitor airline employees, despite the fact that Ryanair has agreed to arbitration, and at a much faster period of implementation (4/5 weeks) than the 5 months being sought by the VC Union.
Having spent over 7 hours in direct negotiations with the VC in Frankfurt on Tues, and having provided them with written agreement to their demands within 24 hours, it is deeply regrettable that the VC call another unnecessary strike within 5 hours of receiving our letter.
This VC organised strike, which will not be well supported by Ryanair pilots or cabin crew in Germany, shows that even when Ryanair makes real and substantial commitments in these union negotiations, they are ignored in favour of repeated strikes.
It is inexplicable that the VC Union cannot explain why they are calling a strike to agree a CLA when Ryanair has already agreed in writing to arbitration in Germany, which will complete a German CLA by the end of October for the benefit of our pilots in Germany.
Ryanair has written to all of its pilots based in Germany copying them on the correspondence with the VC Union and we will be asking them to work as rostered tomorrow in order to minimise disruption and inconvenience for our German customers”.
15 New Routes, 2 New Based Aircraft ($200m Investment), 2.1m Customers, 23% Growth
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (26 Sept) launched its biggest ever Prague Summer schedule (2019) where it will base an additional two new aircraft, and add 15 new routes (connecting 9 countries) to/from Amman, Bari, Billund, Bournemouth, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Marrakesh, Marseille, Paris, Pescara, Pisa, Riga, Stockholm, Venice and Zadar, with 30 routes in total, which will deliver 2.1m customers p.a. at Prague Airport, as it grows its traffic by 23%.
Ryanair’s Prague S19 schedule will deliver:
– 2 extra based aircraft ($200m investment, 4 total)
– 15 new routes: Amman (2pw), Bari (2), Billund (3), Bournemouth (2), Copenhagen (daily), Gothenburg (2), Marrakesh (2), Marseille (2), Paris (3), Pescara (2), Pisa (3), Riga (3), Stockholm (3), Venice (4) & Zadar (2)
– 30 routes in total
– 130+ weekly flights
– 1m customers p.a. (+23%)
– 1,200* “on-site” jobs p.a.
Czech consumers and visitors can now book their holidays on 30 routes for summer 2019 on the lowest fares. To celebrate, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares on its new Prague routes available from just 529Kč, for travel in April, which must be booked by midnight Friday (28 Sept) only on the Ryanair.com website.
In Prague, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, David O’Brien said:
“Ryanair is pleased to add 2 more based aircraft at Prague (4 aircraft in total) as part of our biggest ever Prague summer schedule with 30 routes, including 15 new routes to and from exciting cities such as Copenhagen, Marrakesh and Pisa, which will deliver 2.1m customers p.a. as we continue to grow Czech routes, traffic, tourism and jobs.
To celebrate we are releasing seats for sale on these new routes from 529Kč for travel in April 2019. This offer is available for booking until midnight Friday (28 Sept). Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”
Prague Airport CEO, Vaclav Rehor, said:
“We welcome Ryanair’s decision to extend the number of flights offered from Prague during the 2019 summer schedule, primarily the introduction of services to the new destinations of Billund, Bournemouth, Pescara and Zadar, which are not currently served directly from Prague. Alongside the previously announced new routes to Amman and Marrakesh, Ryanair significantly extends the offer of direct flights for Czech passengers and at the same time brings Prague and the Czech Republic within reach of foreign visitors from the respective markets.”
& Submits Competition Complaint To EU Commission Over Competitor Airline Pilots/Cabin Crew Interference In Its Trade Union Negotiations
Ryanair has today (Wed 26 Sept) published its offer to pilots and cabin crew in order to set the record straight, correct competitor trade union propaganda and pave the way to a speedy conclusion of collective labour agreements (CLA’s) with its people and their unions.
Ryanair has also submitted a competition complaint to the European Commission, calling for an investigation of the anti-competitive behaviour of certain competitor airline crew, unions and lobby groups, who are actively impeding Ryanair’s negotiations with its pilots/cabin crew and who are organising repeated strikes in an effort to damage Ryanair’s business and customer confidence, for the benefit of Ryanair’s competitors.
Ryanair has made significant progress over the past 9 months in negotiations with trade unions across Europe, which include:
– Irish recognition agreement with FORSA union, covering pilots, and cabin crew.
– Irish mediation agreement covering pilot seniority, promotions, and base transfers.
– Recognition and CLA agreements for all Ryanair pilots based in Italy.
– Recognition and CLA agreements for all cabin crew based in Italy.
– Recognition agreement with BALPA covering all UK based pilots.
– Recognition agreement with Unite covering all UK based cabin crew.
– Recognition agreement with Verdi to cover German cabin crew.
Despite all this progress in a short 9-month period, Ryanair continues to face significant impediments in certain countries where competitor airline pilots and cabin crew are interfering in negotiations, or blocking progress, up to and including organising unnecessary strikes, most notably;
– In Spain, Norwegian cabin crew in Alicante are organising these cabin crew strikes.
– In Portugal, TAP cabin crew are organising these strikes.
– In the Netherlands, the pilots union insist that a KLM pilot negotiates with Ryanair.
– In Sweden, pilot unions refused to meet unless a Braathens pilot is invited.
Ryanair has complained that some 8% of its (450,000) customers are facing strikes and flight disruptions on Fri 28th Sept over demands made 2 weeks ago by these competitor airline pilots and cabin crew, which Ryanair has already agreed to, including:
– Local contracts in Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and Germany in early 2019.
– Local law and local tax as part of a CLA in early 2019.
– National seniority lists, similar to that agreed in Ireland.
– Base transfer agreements based on seniority (as already agreed in Ireland).
Ryanair’s business is being damaged by unnecessary strikes and disruptive interference in our bona fide union negotiations, promoted and coordinated by competitor airline employees, their unions and lobby groups. This is an unlawful attempt to distort competition and customer choice, for the benefit of legacy airlines. Ryanair calls on DG COMP to immediately investigate the nature of this collective campaign, including numerous behind-closed-doors meetings held under the banners of the ECA (competitor pilots) and the ITF (competitor cabin crew). The object and effect of this unlawful behaviour has been to impede the progress of Ryanair’s industrial relations engagement regardless of the status of individual union negotiations, as evidenced by the unnecessary pan European strike on Fri 28 Sept, which was agreed in a meeting of several cabin crew unions in Rome on 7 Sept last.
Ryanair has offered to meet with our people and their unions in every EU country with the only pre-condition being no competitor employee involvement. Lufthansa does not allow Ryanair people to join in its union negotiations in Germany. Similarly, in Spain and Portugal, when Iberia and TAP meet their unions, they do not negotiate with Ryanair pilots or cabin crew. While Ryanair is new to the process of negotiating with unions, it is simply unlawful and anti-competitive that certain unions are insisting that competitor airline pilots and cabin crew participate in meetings with Ryanair, where our business, pay and terms and conditions are discussed.
Speaking in Brussels today, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:
“We have made real progress with the unions and our people in many EU countries since we agreed to recognise unions in Dec 2017. However, in certain countries, most notably in Portugal, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden similar progress is being impeded by the interference of competitor airline pilots and cabin crew who are conspiring to call repeated and unnecessary strikes, which are disrupting Ryanair’s customers, and damaging our business for the benefit of their legacy airline employers.
We are not aware of any other multi-national company in Europe where its union negotiations are interfered with by competitor employees. Volkswagen’s union negotiations do not take place with Peugeot car workers. Tesco is not required to meet with ASDA employees. Yet in Ryanair currently, we are being asked to negotiate with pilots and/or cabin crew of Aer Lingus, Norwegian, TAP, Eurowings, KLM and Braathens. This is anti-competitive behaviour which damages consumers.
The majority of Ryanair’s pilots and cabin crew do not support these strikes, and they have continued to work normally. We work hard to ensure that our people enjoy the best pay, terms and conditions of any low cost 737 airline in Europe. Our pilots and cabin crew wish to come to work free from intimidation from these competitor unions. They are being denied this opportunity by unnecessary strikes, which are being organised unlawfully on a Europe wide basis in meetings of competitor airline pilots and cabin crew. This is damaging Ryanair’s business for the benefit of legacy airlines. We have today published our offer to pilots and cabin crew, and call on the European Commission – if it’s going to defend the growth of low fare air travel and consumer choice – to take action now to prevent these competitor airline employees from interfering with our business and damaging the best interests of our customers to the benefit of high fare legacy airlines”.
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (26 Sep) announced a new route from Bournemouth to Prague, with a twice-weekly service commencing in April 2019, which will be a part of Ryanair’s Summer 19 schedule.
British consumers and visitors can now enjoy even lower fares and the latest “Always Getting Better” improvements including:
– Reduced checked-in bag fees
– lower £25 x 20kg check bag
– lower £8 x 10kg check bag
– Ryanair Rooms with 10% off Travel Credit
– Ryanair Transfers
– wider choice of ground transport with new partner Car Trawler
Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said:
“Ryanair is pleased to announce a new Bournemouth route to Prague, commencing in April 2019, which will operate twice-weekly as part of our Summer 2019 schedule.
“To celebrate we are releasing seats for sale on this new route from £24.99 for travel in April 2019. This offer is available for booking until midnight Friday (28 Sept). Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (26 Sep) announced two new routes from Gothenburg and Stockholm Skavsta to Prague, with a twice-weekly service to Gothenburg and three weekly services to Stockholm Skavsta commencing in April 2019, which will be a part of Ryanair’s Summer 19 schedule.
Swedish consumers and visitors can now enjoy even lower fares and the latest “Always Getting Better” improvements including:
– Reduced checked-in bag fees
– lower €25 x 20kg check bag
– lower €8 x 10kg check bag
– Ryanair Rooms with 10% off Travel Credit
– Ryanair Transfers
– wider choice of ground transport with new partner Car Trawler
Ryanair’s Chris Lundshøj said:
“Ryanair is pleased to announce a new Gothenburg and Stockholm Skavsta routes to Prague, commencing in April 2019, which will operate twice-weekly to Gothenburg and three weekly to Stockholm Skavsta as part of our Summer 2019 schedule.
To celebrate we are offering 1 million seats up to 20% off for travel October to February (not available 18 Dec 18 – 07 Jan 2019). This offer is available for booking until midnight Thursday (27 Sept). Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”
Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (26 Sep) announced one new route from Riga to Prague, with a three weekly service commencing in April 2019, which will be a part of Ryanair’s Summer 19 schedule.
Latvian consumers and visitors can now enjoy even lower fares and the latest “Always Getting Better” improvements including:
– Reduced checked-in bag fees
– lower €25 x 20kg check bag
– lower €8 x 10kg check bag
– Ryanair Rooms with 10% off Travel Credit
– Ryanair Transfers
– wider choice of ground transport with new partner Car Trawler
Ryanair’s Chris Lundshøj said:
“Ryanair is pleased to announce a new Riga route to Prague, commencing in April 2019, which will operate three times weekly to Riga as part of our Summer 2019 schedule.
To celebrate we are offering 1 million seats up to 20% off for travel October to February (not available 18 Dec 18 – 07 Jan 2019). This offer is available for booking until midnight Thursday (27 Sept). Since these amazing low fares will be snapped up quickly, customers should log onto www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out.”
Ryanair, Europas foretrukne flyselskab, annoncerede i dag (d.26. sept.) en ny rute fra Billund med tre ugentlige afgange og en ny rute fra København med en daglig afgang, hvor begge er til Prag og starter i april 2019, og de er en del af Ryanairs sommertrafikprogram 2019.
Danske kunder og besøgende kan nu se frem til endnu lavere prisere og de seneste forbedring i “Always Getting Better” kundeforbedringsprogrammet der indholder:
– Nedsatte gebyr på indtjekket bagage
– €25 x 20kg indtjekket bagage
– €8 x 10kg indtjekket bagage
– Ryanair Rooms med 10% rabat som Rejsekredit
– Ryanair Transfers
– bredere udvalg af transport med Car Trawler som ny partner
Ryanairs Chris Lundshøj udtalte:
“Ryanair er glad for at annoncere den nye Billund og nye København rute til Prag, begge starter i april 2019, og ruten til Billund flyves tre gange ugentligt, og en gang dagligt til København, som en del af vores sommertrafikprogram 2019.
For at fejre dette har vi op til 20% rabat på 1 million flybilletter for rejser i oktober til februar (ikke tilgængeligt fra 18/12-18 til 7/1-19). Dette tilbud er tilgængeligt for booking indtil torsdag midag (d.27. sept.). Disse super lave priser vil hurtigt blive snuppet, derfor bør kunderne skynde sig ind på www.ryanair.com og undgå af gå glip af dette tilbud.”